Jon Jones has finally admitted that missing the UFC’s historic White House event on June 14 is one of his biggest regrets ever, and according to him, it all came down to a contract dispute.

Speaking to the Prince St. Pizza YouTube channel, the former two-division UFC champion opened up about how negotiations with UFC CEO Dana White fell apart.

“Man, you know, honestly there was a little bit of a contract negotiation that didn’t go my way,” he said. “Dana’s the absolute man. That’s the boss, and, you know, sometimes you and the boss aren’t gonna always agree. You know, business is business.

“But man, I usually don’t have regrets. You know, I stand by my decisions, and it was my decision not to compete on that card. It was my decision. I could have fought. We just couldn’t come up to an agreement.”

This suggests that Jones wasn’t happy with the terms offered to him for the fight. With the negotiations going nowehere, the promotion eventually moved on with the Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje lightweight title fight as the headliner.

While it was his decision not to fight unless the terms were favorable to him, ‘Bones’ explained why missing the White House event hit still him on a personal level.

“Man, to watch the boys walk out from, you know, the Oval Office and Donald Trump being there and everything. It was one of the few times in my life where I just, I knew I should not be home on this night,” he admitted. “I should have been out there.

“I’m such a proud American, and I’m such a fan of military and law enforcement, and to salute our military and law enforcement on that night, me not being a part of it as one of the greatest American fighters in our sports history, it’s one of my small regrets that I have to live with forever.”

Reports surrounding the negotiations at the time suggested that Jon Jones was seeking around $30 million to fight at UFC Freedom 250 and the UFC wasn’t ready to pay that much. The two sides ultimately failed to reach an agreement, and the former heavyweight champion missed out on the historic card.

However, the biggest talking point remains the conflicting accounts of what happened behind the scenes.

Jon Jones says a contract dispute kept him out of the event, while UFC CEO Dana White has repeatedly maintained that the former champion was never seriously considered for the card due to concerns about his physical condition and the history of difficulties surrounding him.

“Never, ever, ever, which I told you guys, 100,000 times, was Jon Jones even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House,” Dana White said at the UFC 326 post-fight press conference. “First of all, I’ve told you why I wouldn’t do it, and No. 2, some guy with Meta glasses on filmed him talking about his hips.

“His hips are so bad, and I don’t know if you guys saw that flag football game where he can barely run. Jon Jones, he retired because of his hips. He’s got arthritis in his hips; apparently, doctors say he should have hip replacements.”

The head honcho also clarified that while Jon Jones and his team may have discussed the possibility of fighting at the White House, those conversations never meant a deal was on the table.

“I’m not saying they weren’t talking to Jon Jones, and Jon Jones wasn’t interested in the fight,” White explained. “What’s even crazier, Jon Jones came out and was like ‘I’m in negotiations right now for the White House fight’ after I had already sent a text to his lawyer saying ‘never going to happen, ever.'”

The conflicting accounts have raised questions about how far the negotiations actually went. Jon Jones believes a deal could have brought him onto the card, while Dana White has pointed to various concerns about the former champion.

With both sides sticking to their versions of events, the circumstances surrounding the former champion’s absence remain disputed

For ‘Bones,’ though, the outcome is clear: he missed a historic UFC event that he believes he could have been part of, and it’s an opportunity he says he will always regret.

Despite the disappointment of missing the White House event, the 39-year-old has hinted that he may be ready to walk away from professional fighting for good, suggesting he could be at peace with never stepping into the Octagon ever again.

Jon Jones believes his Stipe Miocic fight was likely his last

Despite missing the White House event, Jones seems perfectly content with never fighting professionally again. His last appearance came at UFC 309 in November 2024, where he faced former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

‘Bones’ secured a third-round TKO victory to defend his heavyweight title before later vacating the belt and announcing his retirement. In a separate interview with The Schmo, Jon Jones was asked whether he would be at peace with the Miocic fight being his final appearance inside the Octagon.

The former champion suggested that he genuinely believes his competitive career may be over, describing the night as a special moment in his life.

“I really do believe that that was my last (moment) inside the cage, Schmo,” he said. “And it was great, man. And I got to fight—my brother (Arthur Jones) was still alive at the time. My father was there. You know, I got to tell the world that I love Jesus and that I’ll never change.”

Jones also revisited his disappointment over missing the White House card, admitting that it was one of the few decisions in his career that left him questioning whether he had made the right call.

“There was the White House card,” he continued. “It was one of the few nights in my career where I just was thinking I should’ve been there.

“I usually don’t regret decisions, but that was one of my big regrets in life—not being a part of the White House. But if I never fight again, I think I’m pretty damn happy.”

‘Bones’ ends his MMA career with 28 wins, one disqualification loss, and one no-contest across 30 pro fights. Recently, Jon Jones has been focusing on coaching, particularly mentoring Gable Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling and a UFC heavyweight prospect.

While comeback rumors continue, including a possible fight against Alex Pereira, the former champ has suggested he’s at peace with the idea of his career ending after the Stipe Miocic fight.